Peterson MG, Allegrante JP, Augurt A, Robbins L, MacKenzie CR, Cornell CN; Association for Health Services Research. Meeting.

Abstr Book Assoc Health Serv Res Meet. 1999; 16: 400-1.

Department of Biomechanics and Biomaterials, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USA.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: A high number of major life events in the year prior to fracture were recorded in a cohort of hip fracture patients entering a clinical trial. The objective of this study was to ascertain if this number of life events was normative in the population from which the patients came. STUDY DESIGN: A group of non-fracture subjects of the same age group, over 65 years of age, and geographic location were asked to complete the same major life events and the demographic questionnaires. The non-fracture subjects were recruited from among those who attended informational, social and educational events at the hospitals. The fracture patients were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial to evaluate a program to aid recovery after fracture. There were 90 non-fracture participants and 111 hip fracture patients. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The following differences were statistically significant between the two groups of people, age (patients 79.2+7.5 years, non-patients 75.3+5.5 years, p<0.0001), income (41 of the patients below $20,000 and 10 of the non-patients, p=0.02), education (13 patients 9th grade or lower, none of the non-patients, p=0.0009) and marital status (76 patients married or widowed vs. 43 of the non-patients, p=0.02). The average number of major life events over one year is 2.8+1.6 for the patients, 1.8+1.6 if the major illness/injury question is removed. The average number over a year in the non-patient group is 1.3+1.4, 1.0+1.3 if the major illness/injury question is removed. After correcting for confounders, a high number of major events was a predictor of a hip fracture (p<0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: Major life events may place elderly people at a risk for subsequent hip fracture. IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY, DELIVERY OR PRACTICE: Low scores on mental health scales after fracture may in part be due to cumulative major life events. Counselling and help may be indicated rather than medication for depressive symptoms. The public should alerted to the risks for elderly relations and neighbors who suffer major life events.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Aged
• Fractures, Bone
• Frail Elderly
• Hip Fractures
• Homes for the Aged
• Humans
• Questionnaires
• Stress, Psychological
• hsrmtgs

Other ID:

• HTX/20603125

UI: 102194814

From Meeting Abstracts